The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-08-06
Trading in the Orient.
St. James Gazette.

In the open air markets of eastern countries-especially in those devoted to transactions in hides, leather, wool, grain and fruit-it is no uncommon thing to see a couple of sedate look ing traders seated on the ground, each with his right hand concealed in his neighbor's capacious sleeve and en- gagged, to all appearance, in squeezing each others fingers. For few min utes they will remain in this position, one nudging the other occasionally. but without exchanging a word, and then, rising, they will separate and go their way. Sometimes the perform ance is varied little. A couple of merchants will stand in the middle of a brawling and gesticulating crowd by which they are surrounded and ob- served; one will raise the end of his long robe or unroll the muslin vailing of his turban, and under cover of this the pair will begin to clasp hands and fingers as before. The spectacle is e. tremely funny to the western tray eler, who does not understand what is going on; but in point of fact the traders are simply engaged in what they call liking the price," or bar gaining, by means of code of manual signs almost universally used by eastern merchants, who are compelled to do much of their business in the open air, surrounded by people who are quite as curious about every af- hn I1 themselves. The practice has occa- sionally been referred to by observant travellers, though the signs themselves have never yet been described. They are extremely simple, few in number, and easily learned. To make begin- ming, the would be buyer opens the business with an offer to purchase, ex- pressed by passing the palm of the hand sidewise over the vendors knuck- les. If he grasp the first or index finger of the seller fully extended, the price offered is one, of whatever the coin may be in which tender is cus- tomary ill the market. A single pressure underneath with the thumb makes this 10; a double pressure, distinctly given, 100. The first two fingers taken together signify 2;pres- sure of the thumb underneath, once or twice, raising the figure to 20 or 200. In like manner, the first three fingers grasped by the buyer convey an offer of 3, 30 or 300; the four fingers f, 40, or 400; and the whole hand 5, 50, or 500. The little finger taken by it. self signifies 6, 60, or 600; the ring or third finger, ', 70, or 700; the middle finger, 8, 80, or 800; and the first or index finger, bent-not extended as for "one"-is equivalent to 9, 90, or 900. Grasping the thumb alone is tender of 1000. Fractions are not easily expressed. To signify one- half, the buyer passes the thumb sidewise across the middle joint of the vendors middle finger. The same movement in the direction of the knuckle means an addition of one-fourth, while in the contrary direction, toward the tinger-tip, it is an offer of quarter less. The whole nail of the 1ore- finger grasped between the thumb and index finger means one eighth more; the tip of the nail only, an eighth less. These are the chief signs of this mer- camille finger speech, which can be made to indicate any numbers. For instance, to express 3,54o it is only necessary to grasp the vendors thumb three times, the hand once, and then the four fingers together with a dis tinct single pressure.